From BBC online news:

Scientists have unlocked the entire genetic code of two of the most common cancers – skin and lung – a move they say could revolutionise cancer care. Not only will the cancer maps pave the way for blood tests to spot tumours far earlier, they will also yield new drug targets, say the Wellcome Trust team. Scientists around the globe are now working to catalogue all the genes that go wrong in many types of human cancer. The UK is looking at breast cancer, Japan at liver and India at mouth. China is studying stomach cancer, and the US is looking at cancers of the brain, ovary and pancreas.

 The International Cancer Genome Consortium scientists from the 10 countries involved say it will take them at least five years and many hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete this mammoth task. But once they have done this, patients will reap the benefits.Professor Michael Stratton, who is the UK lead, said: “These catalogues are going to change the way we think about individual cancers.

“By identifying all the cancer genes we will be able to develop new drugs that target the specific mutated genes and work out which patients will benefit from these novel treatments.

“We can envisage a time when following the removal of a cancer cataloguing it will become routine.”It could even be possible to develop MoT-style blood tests for healthy adults that can check for tell-tale DNA patterns suggestive of cancer.

Russian roulette-The scientists found the DNA code for a skin cancer called melanoma contained more than 30,000 errors almost entirely caused by too much sun exposure.

The lung cancer DNA code had more than 23,000 errors largely triggered by cigarette smoke exposure. From this, the experts estimate a typical smoker acquires one new mutation for every 15 cigarettes they smoke. Although many of these mutations will be harmless, some will trigger cancer. Wellcome Trust researcher Dr Peter Campbell, who conducted this research, published in the journal Nature, said: “It’s like playing Russian roulette. Most of the time the mutations will land in innocent parts of the genome, but some will hit the right targets for cancer.” By quitting smoking, people could reduce their cancer risk back down to “normal” with time, he said. The suspicion is lung cells containing mutations are eventually replaced with new ones free of genetic errors. By studying the cancer catalogues in detail, the scientists say it should be possible to find exactly which lifestyle and environmental factors trigger different tumours.

So the key message here is that the healthier we are the less chance we have of getting a deadly cancer, even if we are genetically predisposed to it. Stopping smoking can seem like a very daunting task, but it CAN be easy, I know this because I’ve done it! Picture this, I am a personal trainer in Windsor and Maidenhead, and after every client, whether I’m running with them, doing circuits, or resistance training, I need a cigarette after each session. I have one first thing in the morning, in the shower, would you believe. But then I was recommended the”easy Way to Stop Smoking” by Allen Carr. This book changed my like, plus the life of my partner, her sister, and ger mother, who all stopped with little difficulty after reading this book or going to the lecture. So give it a go, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose!

Ok, so we all know that Christmas is now just around the corner, and that more than likely we will be going for it in the food and drink stakes. The average calorific horrific intake on Christmas day in Britain is 4000-5000 calories, or two days’ worth, so what we at Diets Don’t Work suggest is hiring on of our mean but supportive and charming personal trainers to pre-empt the onslaught. By embarking on a programme of resistance training and CV we can push your metabolic rate up higher so that you will be burning more calories (and more calories from fat too!) even while you are sitting watching the sound of music. Lean muscle needs more energy to maintain itself whether you are exercising or not and so burns more fuel, stopping you from getting too fat over the festive season. For more on this have a look at the energy systems fact sheet on out “The Knowledge” page on the website. 

Even a little trot out on Christmas morning will help to get you through the trauma of all those Brussels sprouts. So if you need advice or motivation we can help now and in the new decade with a personal trainer in the Maidenhead, Windsor and Bracknell areas. Good luck and be good-you can still have fun too!

As providers of life changing (wherever possible!!) personal training at home we endeavour to get clients outdoors wherever possible; it’s good for morale, good for the soul and also you burn more calories in the great outdoors when it’s cold! I take many of my personal personal trainer clients in Windsor (ans Eton) outside, and the area has some very very scenic runs and areas for resistance training.

The Great Park has to rank as one of the most stunning areas in Berkshire and the Thames Valley, there’s a great route from Windsor town centre up to the copper horse (the hill is longer than it looks!) and back. The view of the castle front is most impressive on the way back. There is also a fabulous run from Eton (look out for Judy and I zooming along) along the Thames path, over the bypass and then back along the river past the leisure centre and over Eton bridge for home. Windsor also has the benefit of having some of the only decent hills in the area for proper personal trainer torture (interval hill running).

Eton has the Brocas field, looking over the Castle on the hill, and Eton field where you can have personal training and admire the Eton boys in all their regalia as you throw the kettle bells.

So if you need to make a positive move and get yourself into shape, in the new year or sooner, then a personal trainer in Windsor or Eton will not only give you the best possible chance of success, but it will also give you the opportunity to see some fantastic scenery at the same time!! For a list of trainers available in the area have a look at our meet the trainers page.